Cigarette dispensing package



Jan. 25, 1944. E.. M, HADLEY 2,339,924

CIGARETTE nrsrgufsme PACKAGE 'Filed Dec. 22, 194i' wem@ ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 25, 1944 I UNiTso STATES Pre map24 fr ori-icy This invention relates to a cigarette dispensing package.

It is inconvenient to extract cigarettes from conventional packages for the reason that the tops of the cigarettes are slightly below the top of the package. An object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing case within the conventional cigarette package having a follower for forcing the cigarettes toward one end of the case and having a lifting ap below the follower adapted to be pulled upwardly by a string to lift the cigarettes through an opening in the top of the cigarette package previously made by pulling the string laterally around the top of the package to sever a portion thereof.

A further object is to provide a dispensing case which may be formed of inexpensive material and will include two cardboard members, two rubber bands, one string and three staples all of which are discardable when the cigarette supply is exhausted so that building the dispensing case into a cigarette package will not appreciably increase the cost over conventional cigarette packages.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character which will be formed of a few strong, simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a cigarette package, with a portion in elevation, showing a dispensing case constructed in accordance with the invention built into the package and holding the cigarettes in normal position.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cigarette package and dispensing case shown in Figure l but showing the lifting flap manually pulled up by use of the string to raise the cigarettes to dispensing position through an opening in the top of the package.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the dispensing case removed from the cigarette package.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, the dispensing case is formed of pasteboard or other suitable inexpensive material and comprises side walls I0 and II, and end Wall I2 connecting the side walls, a bottom wall I3 connected at one end to the end wall I2, and free of connection with the side walls. The several walls of the case are substantially equal in size to the corresponding walls of a conventional cigarette package I4 and are formed of a single blank of pasteboard. Also formed from the same blank is a lifting flap I5 which rests upon the bottom wall I3 and is formed integrally with that end of the bottom wall remote from the end wall I2. The lifting flap is provided at its free end with an upwardly extending tab I6 to which is attached a string I1 adapted to extend between the cigarettes I8 in the cigarette package I4 and the end wall I2.V

The string is secured to the tab by a staple I9 and projects above the dispensing case through an opening in the top wall of the cigarette package so that it may be grasped by the ngers and initially moved laterally around the edges of the top wall to cut a portion of the top wall of the cigarette package and expose the cigarettes. Subsequently the string may be manually pulled upwardly to raise the lifting flap so as to elevate the cigarettes in alignment with the opening and thus permit easy removal of the cigarettes, see Figure 2.

To maintain the cigarettes bunched in the dispensing case, and constantly forced toward the end wall I2 of the case, a follower 20 formed of the same materialas the case is disposed between the side walls Il) and l I remote from the end wall I2 and extends along the outermost cigarettes in the package. A pair of rubber bands 2I are secured to the -follower by respective staples 22 and are extended toward the end wall I2 then directed through openings 23 formed in the side walls lil and I I of the case, thence passed around the Outer face of the end wall I2. The rubber bands tend constantly to move the follower 2i) in the direction of the end wall I2 so as to force the cigarettes to the opening formed in the top of the cigarette package. The openings 23 are located close to the end wall I2, and close to the upper and lower edges, respectively, of the side walls Il! and il of the case. Slits 24 extend from the openings to said edges to permit the application of the rubber bands 2l.

Since the operation of the parts has been described as the description of the parts progressed. it is thought the invention will be fully under- .Stood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a cigarette package of a dispensing case including an envelope having an end wall, a pair of opposed side Walls and a bottom for three sides and the bottom of cigarettes in the package, a follower in the envelope constantly tending to urge the cigarettes toward said end wall of the envelope, a lifting ap hinged to the end of the bottom of the envelope remote from the en d wall thereof and extending underneath the cigarettes, and a string connected to the free end of the lifting iiap extending through the top of the package adapted to cut a portion of the top of the package and to elevate the flap to raise cigarettes to dispensing position above the top of the package through the opening.

2. The structure as of claim 1 and in which said envelope includes an end wall, `a pair of parallel side walls, and a bottom wall formed from a single blank of material.

3. The structure as of claim 1 and in which said follower is urged toward the end wall of the envelope through the medium of a rubber band secured to the follower and extending exteriorly of the end wall of the envelope through openings in the side walls adjacent said end wall.

4. The combination with a cigarette package, of a dispensing case including an envelope having an end wall and a pair of side walls anda bottom arranged in a cigarette package, a follower in the envelope between the side walls, and elastic members secured to the upper and lower ends of the follower and extending outwardly through openings in the side walls around the outer face of the end wall of the envelope.

EVERETT M. HADLEY. 

